Neymar announces his international retirement after Brazil’s FIFA World Cup 2026 exit

Brazil football icon Neymar Jr. has announced his retirement after Brazil’s exit from FIFA World Cup 2026. Brazil lost their round of 16 match against Norway 1-2 in New Jersey on Monday, ending the hopes to add another World Cup glory in five time FIFA World Cup Champions crest. 

During the match, Neymar also scored a goal from the penalty spot in the 90th minute but Norway’s star striker Erling Haaland had a different plan on the night, who scored two goals. Neymar looked very emotional after Brazil's defeat. A short while later, he revealed that this was his last international football match. Neymar played his last international match today at Metlife Stadium, where he made his international debut in a friendly match against the USA in 2010.

Neymar Jr. played a total of 129 matches in his international career and scored 80 goals. However, unfortunately, he never led Brazil to a World Cup win. He played 4 World Cups for Brazil (2014, 2018, 2022 & 2026), scoring 9 goals in 15 matches. He is counted among the few great superstars of football, and has millions of fans all over the world. Neymar was celebrated as an icon after Ronaldo and Pele, and his footballing style spoke volumes, with his tricks and dribbles putting the opposition’s defence to shame. 

After his retirement, fans are paying tribute to him on social media, and are thanking him for his game. He will be remembered as one of the finest talents who never won a World Cup. He has scored over 450 official career goals. His remarkable scoring record spans across both international and club competitions. 

As a match context, the Brazil vs Norway Round of 16 match was quite close. Brazil had a chance to lead early on, but Bruno Guimarães missed a penalty for Brazil in the 14th minute. This marked a historic moment as it was the first time a Brazilian player had missed an in-game penalty at the FIFA World Cup since Zico in 1986. After this, both teams tried hard to score till the 78th minute, but neither team could take the lead. It looked like it would end in a goalless draw, and the match would go into extra time and penalties.

However, in the 79th minute, Erling Haaland scored with a powerful header to give Norway a 1-0 lead. Haaland scored a second goal in the 90th minute, ensuring Norway's victory. Brazil then earned a penalty, which Neymar converted for the final goal of his international career, but it only narrowly missed the mark.